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The James Madison Dukes are officially going bowling.
The Dukes went 11-1 in 2023, but were ineligible for postseason play due to the NCAA transition rule that has teams transferring levels ineligible for the first two seasons at their new level. Given that James Madison is in year two of its FCS-to-FBS transition, this impacted the program's eligibility.
The only way the Dukes could qualify for the postseason was if there were not enough bowl eligible teams for the available games, but Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported that this scenario was officially clinched.
McMurphy reported that there are currently 78 bowl eligible teams for 82 spots, and James Madison and Jacksonville State, who transitioned to the FBS level this season, get first dibs among the non-bowl eligible teams.
The Dukes and Gamecocks could also be joined by Minnesota and Mississippi State as bowl-ineligible teams in the postseason if both California and Colorado State lose their final games Saturday.
The Dukes desire to play in a postseason bowl has been well documented, especially given the quick success the program has had during its brief tenure in the FBS. The Dukes went 8-3 and 2022 and are 19-4 overall since the transition.
The Dukes earned a victory over Power-5 Virginia and it's only blemish this season was at the hands of Appalachian State in overtime Nov. 18. While this season should be worthy of a potential New Year's Six bowl game, the fact that the Dukes will have the chance to contend for a bowl in the first place is a huge boost for the program.
Virginia attorney general Jason Miyares is threatening to take legal action against the NCAA after James Madison was deemed ineligible for a bowl game.
ESPN's Pete Thamel obtained a letter from a law firm engaged by Miyares that was sent to the NCAA:
"We are prepared to act on behalf of JMU in the unfortunate circumstance that JMU's request for relief is not timely approved. Specifically, JMU is prepared to promptly file a lawsuit in the Western District of Virginia asserting that the bowl ban violates the antitrust and, potentially, other laws."
Miyares also provided a statement to Thamel, calling the NCAA's decision "extremely disappointing" and it "made an arbitrary and capricious decision that has an anti-competitive and profoundly negative impact on student-athletes, JMU, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and collegiate football as a whole."
Per The Athletic's Chris Vannini and Nicole Auerbach, the NCAA Division I Board Administration Committee rejected James Madison's waiver request for full bowl eligibility this season.
Thamel noted the letter lays the groundwork for an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA.
This was the second time James Madison applied for a bowl-eligibility waiver. The original one was filed and rejected in the spring.
Per NCAA bylaws, football programs moving from FCS to FBS are required to take a two-year transition that makes them ineligible for postseason bowl games.
The Dukes are in their second season as an FBS program after making the move up to join the Sun Belt Conference in 2022.
In a statement about its decision on Wednesday (h/t Thamel), the NCAA Board of Directors Administrative Committee cited "factors beyond athletics performance" as part of the two-year FCS-to-FBS transition requirement.
"They are intended to ensure schools are properly evaluating their long-term sustainability in the subdivision," the statement said.
While the NCAA has rejected the school's waiver request, Thamel did note College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock left open the possibility James Madison could play in a bowl game if there aren't enough teams eligible for postseason play.
"The facts here haven't changed regarding JMU," Hancock said on Wednesday. "The committee considers all teams that are eligible to play in the postseason, and that's where things stand."
James Madison went 8-3 and won the Sun Belt East Division with a head-to-head win over Coastal Carolina in the regular-season finale last year, but the Chanticleers got to play for the conference championship against Troy because the Dukes couldn't play in a bowl game.
Head coach Curt Cignetti once again has James Madison playing at a high level. The team is 10-0, ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25 and has already won the Sun Belt East Division with two games remaining in the regular season.
University of Delaware sophomore running back Liam Kirk was arrested and charged with three counts of indecent assault, two counts of harassment and a count each of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness after allegedly groping female Penn State fans in the stands at Beaver Stadium during the team's Sept. 18 game, per Kevin Tresolini of the Delaware News Journal.
He has been suspended from Delaware's football team.
Per that report, Penn State issued a "Timely Warning" after several students reported to the school that "an unknown male touched them inappropriately without their consent."
Nick Stonesifer of the Daily Collegian reported that, according to court documents, "Kirk allegedly struck one student on top of the head with a closed fist, elbowed another student in the temple and groped three other students."
He was also reportedly "heavily intoxicated" and should not have been in the student section in the first place, since he doesn't attend Penn State.
Kirk played one game for Delaware in the 2021 spring season and has not made any appearances in the fall campaign. He is not on scholarship and is not on the team's travel roster—Delaware traveled to face Rutgers on Sept. 18.
Kirk's preliminary hearing will be on Nov. 24.
Paging Brett Favre. Paging Patrick Mahomes.
Both players have something of a patent on making perhaps ill-advised decisions that result in great plays. But they will probably be jealous of this falling, behind-the-back shovel pass for a touchdown from Villanova quarterback Daniel Smith to Charlie Gilroy during their team's 27-20 loss versus Delaware on Saturday:
There's, like, five different reasons why it shouldn't have worked. How did Smith even release the ball? How did it perfectly land in Gilroy's hands? How did it float that long in the air and evade all defenders? Again, how did Smith get any height or distance on the throw?
Ridiculous stuff.
University of Maine defensive back Darius Minor died during a preseason workout Tuesday at the age of 18, the school announced.
According to the school's release, Minor was participating in the third week of Maine's freshman offseason program when he collapsed 15 minutes into a "supervised light workout." Team training staff and emergency personnel were unable to resuscitate him.
"The Athletics Department, our student-athletes and the entire campus mourn the loss of this bright and promising member of our community. We ask all to keep him, his family and his friends in your thoughts," University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said.
A cause of death has yet to be determined.
"Words cannot express the grief we have following this tragic loss," Maine head coach Joe Harasymiak said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Darius' family and friends during this terrible time."
Minor, who hailed from Locust Grove, Virginia, earned All-Central Virginia honors in 2017 as both a wide receiver and defensive back at Orange County High School.
The James Madison Dukes advanced to the FCS National Championship Game on Saturday with an emphatic 51-16 win over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in a semifinal contest at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Undefeated James Madison improved to 14-0 due in large part to the play of running back Marcus Marshall, who rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
The Dukes also forced SDSU to commit a remarkable 10 turnovers, resulting in James Madison out-gaining the Jackrabbits 465-366.
Perhaps overshadowed in the win was the steady performance of JMU quarterback Bryan Schor, who threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for a score as well.
Conversely, SDSU quarterback Taryn Christion finished with 234 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions.
James Madison's win sets the stage for a highly anticipated FCS national title clash between the Dukes and 13-1 North Dakota State, which throttled Sam Houston State 55-13 on Friday.
South Dakota State was a mess in the first quarter, as each of its first five possessions ended in turnovers with three fumbles and two interceptions.
Sam Herder of Bison Illustrated wondered if the moment was too big for the Jackrabbits:
SDSU's second turnover of the game gave JMU an extremely short field, and the Dukes took advantage with a two-yard touchdown pass from Schor to Riley Stapleton to seize a 7-0 lead.
Though the Jackrabbits continued to turn the ball over early, James Madison couldn't capitalize.
After a punt and a lost fumble of its own, the Dukes forced their fifth turnover of the opening quarter with less than two minutes remaining when cornerback Jimmy Moreland reeled in his second interception of the game, as seen in this video courtesy of FCS Football:
With JMU failing to cash in on another turnover, though, South Dakota State managed to tie the game early in the second quarter when Christion threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jake Wieneke.
That would prove to be the high point for the Jackrabbits, as James Madison's offense woke up and helped the Dukes take over the game from there.
JMU scored touchdowns on each of its next two possessions with Schor and Stapleton connecting from 15 yards out, and Schor completing a one-yard quarterback sneak.
The Dukes entered the locker room with a 21-10 advantage, and they opened the floodgates even more early in the second half.
Less than one minute into the third quarter, Marshall dashed 65 yards to paydirt to make the score 28-10:
He added another touchdown on JMU's next drive from even further out, as he scampered 87 yards for the score:
James Madison extended the lead to 45-10 late in the third quarter before the defense got in on the scoring act.
Raven Greene intercepted Christion for JMU's seventh forced turnover of the game, and he returned it 59 yards for a touchdown:
With the Dukes leading 51-10 at the conclusion of the third quarter, the game had already been decided. The only question remaining was how many more turnovers JMU could force.
That was answered with 7:18 left in the game when Moreland intercepted Christion for his third pick of the game and the Dukes' 10th turnover forced overall:
James Madison's dominant performance set the stage for a battle between the past two FCS champions in the title game.
The Dukes are the defending champions after beating Youngstown State in last season's championship game, while North Dakota State won the previous five titles.
A champion will be crowned on Jan. 7 when James Madison and NDSU clash at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
James Madison quarterback Vad Lee suffered a season-ending foot injury that will require surgery.
Continue for updates.
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch's Mike Szvetitz, citing colleague John O'Connor, Lee will miss the remainder of the season after head coach Everett Withers announced his foot injury needed surgery. As a senior, it also signals the end of Lee's college career.
James Madison (4-1), ranked No. 9 in the FCS, will now be without its offensive leader after he left Saturday's game against Richmond when he went down at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
It will now move forward with sophomore Bryan Schor under center, and he will be put under fire quickly. The Dukes will face No. 16 William & Mary on Saturday, but offensive lineman Austin Lane feels confident in the new starter, as he told O'Connor.
"That’s what we train for," Lane said. "Bryan does the same reps that Vad does every week. We knew we weren’t going to skip a beat when he came in."
Per O'Connor, Lee, a Georgia Tech transfer, had averaged 273.8 passing yards and 101.8 rushing yards per game this season—more than half of his team's total offense (609.5 yards per game), which leads the FCS. A date for his foot surgery has yet to be disclosed.
College GameDay's stop at James Madison for Week 8 might be a little off the beaten path, but the signs are on par.
Fans brought out some of the best work we've seen this season ahead of the top FCS matchup between the No. 3 Dukes and No. 12 Richmond Spiders.
Here's a look:
Then there was this guy's shameless (and perhaps genius) plug:
